The ‘free’ ChatGPT, Gemini gift cards scam: How consumers are cheated in the name of AI

Did you know that there’s a new wave of financial fraud targeting ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and other AI chatbot users? Scammers are now reportedly exploiting subscription platforms of popular services like ChatGPT and Google Gemini to make unauthorised gift card purchases.

Victims, who subscribe to seemingly legitimate AI services, are later discovering unexpected high-value charges on their credit cards for “gift cards” they never ordered. These transactions often appear under the official name of the service provider, making them look like normal subscription add-ons and delaying detection by both users and banks.